Important Notice Regarding the National Processing Division (NPD) Data Breach
What happened?
National Public Data, a company that provides background checks using public and non-public records, suffered a major data breach impacting an estimated 2.9 billion individuals in the United States around April 2024. This breach has exposed vast amounts of personal information.
Was your information potentially affected? Visit https://npd.pentester.com to search.
Fraud Prevention Tips
MAX will never call, text, or email you and ask for:
- Personal identifying information including Social Security Numbers
- Account numbers
- Debit card or credit card numbers
- ITM passcodes
- Details on recent account activity
- Mother's maiden name
- Secure access codes
- Online banking login information (user name or password)
- One-time passwords or passcodes
- You are asked to download software to your phone or computer
- You are asked to click on unexpected or unknown links
- The caller tells you to act urgently
What to Do:
NPD Data Breach
What you need to know:
- Affected Information: The breach involves personal details such as full names, Social Security numbers, Dates of Birth, current and past addresses, and connections to relatives.
- Protect Yourself: Monitor your financial accounts and credit reports for unusual activity. Set-up any available alerts to notify you of activity on your credit reports, financial accounts, and other important services. MAX offers account alerts in online banking. We encourage you to set them up and customize them to your needs. Also, consider placing a fraud alert or temporary credit freeze on your accounts with the three major credit bureaus.
- Stay Aware: Be cautious of phishing attempts and other scams that may exploit this breach. Remember, MAX will never contact you and ask for any personal identifying information or financial information. Scammers may attempt to use the information gathered to trick you into providing more up to date information such as address, phone numbers or other current personal information.
Freezing your credit
Security experts recommend that consumers put freezes or alerts on their credit file at the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Freezing your credit can stop bad actors from taking out loans or opening credit cards in your name.
- It is free.
- It doesn’t impact your credit score.
- It can be unfrozen if you need to apply for credit.
- Set up a freeze: Equifax, Experian, TransUnion
Lock vs Freeze
You may see the terms “credit freeze” and “credit lock” used interchangeably, and they do offer similar protections. However, there are key differences between the two services. Credit locks can carry a monthly fee, while credit freeze options are free. And while unlocking your credit can be faster than “thawing” a credit freeze, a freeze may afford legal protections that a lock doesn't.
Freeze | When you freeze your credit at the credit bureaus, you restrict access to your credit report so most lenders can’t see your information until you unfreeze it. Unfreezing your credit report may require the use of a password-protected account or a PIN.
Lock | When you lock your credit, you restrict most lenders’ access. But you can unlock your credit report immediately at any time, on your computer or mobile device, when you do want to allow access. With a lock, you’ll also usually receive alerts if your credit report changes or someone tries to access your report. Keep in mind that locks often come with monthly charges.
The Bottom Line
Member security is a top priority for MAX. If you have concerns or notice any suspicious activity, please contact us immediately at 334.260.2600 or 800-776-6776. We are committed to doing everything we can to make sure your financial well-being is protected, and we are here to support you through this. Always check the MAX Security Center page for more updates and tips to stay aware and keep your information safe.